When I refer to "sliding elements" herein or use terminology of similar import, I intend thereby to describe a structure which is intended in machine applications and the like to slide upon another structure or upon which another structure is intended to slide. Typical of such sliding elements is a plain bearing or sleeve bearing which may receive a shaft or rod which is intended to rotate or reciprocate in that bearing with a sliding surface of the shift or rod in direct contact with the free surface of the sliding element. Similar principles are used in linear sliding structures. For example, the tailstock or longitudinal slide or cross slide of a lathe or other machine tool may slide longitudinally on guideways of a bed or other part of the machine tool. Either the body which slides or the stationary body, for example, the bed, may then be provided with a sliding element in accordance with the invention since there is a sliding engagement of a moving part with a stationary part in a linear direction in these systems. The sliding elements of the invention can, therefore, be used whereever two machine parts are to slide on one another and one of these parts is to have a low friction reduced-wear surface. Where reference is made herein to a conforming layer, or terms of a similar import are used, I intend thereby to describe a layer which has slight deformability when the parts are brought together and are in sliding contact to conform to the surface of the part riding on the sliding element or on which the sliding element rides and which also conforms to the surface of the sliding element to which that layer is applied.
From German Patent Document DE-OS 22 06 400 and German Patent Document DE-OS 27 07 041, composite structures for slide elements are described in which polymer compounds with friction reducing or sliding improving additives are applied to the sliding layer of the composite or as the sliding layer to form the composite. It is also known to apply solid lubricants for the direct formation of a lubricant film in the form of powder or pastes to such sliding elements.
However, these techniques can yield effective results only when the surfaces which are juxtaposed and are to slide relative to one another have been properly prepared by mechanical means, for example, brushing, sand blasting or other roughening techniques, to provide contours which trap the friction and wear reducing materials or the surfaces are provided with a sintered structure or otherwise formed with grooves, recesses or depressions to accommodate the lubricant materials. Such techniques are time consuming and expensive and are not always practical.